Super Highway, Empty World — Deep into the Wilds of Northwest China | 4K Drive
Walk China - Driving Channel
6,361 views
Leaving Ulan in Qinghai, this drive follows the Chade Expressway east toward Chaka across the eastern edge of the Qaidam Basin. Above 3,000 meters, low clouds hang over distant mountains while salt-alkali flats, low hills and enormous open horizons create the feeling of an almost empty world. Through it all runs a wide, modern expressway.
That contrast is what makes this route special. Outside the windshield, the landscape can feel almost untouched and uninhabited; yet barriers, bridges, heavy trucks and smooth pavement reveal one of the key transport corridors linking eastern Qinghai with the interior of the Qaidam Basin.
Around Chahannuo, road and railway infrastructure begin to converge. Sections of railway run through the same vast highland landscape, and freight trains can occasionally be seen moving across the plateau — a striking meeting of wilderness, industry and modern transportation.
The road has long been known as the S2013 Chade Expressway. In current Qinghai traffic information, the Chaka–Delingha section is listed within the G0612 Xining–Hotan Expressway corridor, forming part of the wider highway network connecting Qinghai Lake, Chaka, Ulan, Delingha and the far west of China.
The drive ends at Chaka Toll Station, at the eastern gateway of the Qaidam Basin and close to the famous Chaka Salt Lake. “Chaka” means “salt lake” or “salt pond” in Tibetan. Salt has been harvested here for more than 3,000 years. The lake sits at roughly 3,059 meters and covers about 105 square kilometers, becoming internationally known as China’s “Mirror of the Sky.” Historic salt-transport railways, locomotives and other industrial remains also preserve the region’s long relationship with salt production.
This video does not enter the Chaka Salt Lake scenic area. Instead, it shows the landscape most visitors pass through before reaching it — an immense, moody high-altitude world crossed by one remarkably modern highway.
No narration and no music — only the authentic sounds of the road, traffic, wind and the plateau.
🚗 Route Information
📍 Start: Chade Expressway · Ulan Toll Station
🏁 End: Chaka Toll Station
📏 Distance: 77.6 km
⏱️ Driving Time: 49 min
📅 Date: August 27
⛰️ Elevation: 3,003–3,307 m
🌥️ Weather: Overcast with occasional rain
#China #4KDrive #QaidamBasin #Qinghai #Chaka #ScenicDrive
9 Comments
我喜歡看你的影片。 當我開車橫跨美國時，會遇到各種各樣的瘋狂司機。
No more long distance driving for me in America.😢
Super Highway, Empty World — Deep into the Wilds of Northwest China | 4K Drive
Walk China - Driving Channel
6,361 views
Leaving Ulan in Qinghai, this drive follows the Chade Expressway east toward Chaka across the eastern edge of the Qaidam Basin. Above 3,000 meters, low clouds hang over distant mountains while salt-alkali flats, low hills and enormous open horizons create the feeling of an almost empty world. Through it all runs a wide, modern expressway.
That contrast is what makes this route special. Outside the windshield, the landscape can feel almost untouched and uninhabited; yet barriers, bridges, heavy trucks and smooth pavement reveal one of the key transport corridors linking eastern Qinghai with the interior of the Qaidam Basin.
Around Chahannuo, road and railway infrastructure begin to converge. Sections of railway run through the same vast highland landscape, and freight trains can occasionally be seen moving across the plateau — a striking meeting of wilderness, industry and modern transportation.
The road has long been known as the S2013 Chade Expressway. In current Qinghai traffic information, the Chaka–Delingha section is listed within the G0612 Xining–Hotan Expressway corridor, forming part of the wider highway network connecting Qinghai Lake, Chaka, Ulan, Delingha and the far west of China.
The drive ends at Chaka Toll Station, at the eastern gateway of the Qaidam Basin and close to the famous Chaka Salt Lake. “Chaka” means “salt lake” or “salt pond” in Tibetan. Salt has been harvested here for more than 3,000 years. The lake sits at roughly 3,059 meters and covers about 105 square kilometers, becoming internationally known as China’s “Mirror of the Sky.” Historic salt-transport railways, locomotives and other industrial remains also preserve the region’s long relationship with salt production.
This video does not enter the Chaka Salt Lake scenic area. Instead, it shows the landscape most visitors pass through before reaching it — an immense, moody high-altitude world crossed by one remarkably modern highway.
No narration and no music — only the authentic sounds of the road, traffic, wind and the plateau.
🚗 Route Information
📍 Start: Chade Expressway · Ulan Toll Station
🏁 End: Chaka Toll Station
📏 Distance: 77.6 km
⏱️ Driving Time: 49 min
📅 Date: August 27
⛰️ Elevation: 3,003–3,307 m
🌥️ Weather: Overcast with occasional rain
#China #4KDrive #QaidamBasin #Qinghai #Chaka #ScenicDrive